How to Write 埭 (dài) — Meaning “dam / dike / earthen weir”

Picture a dam made of earth (土) that ‘slaves’ (隶) the water by holding it back. The right side 隶 looks like a person (slave) tied to the soil, working to block the flow.

Write the left radical 土 first: horizontal, vertical, horizontal. Then the right part 隶: start with a horizontal stroke, then a long vertical, followed by left and right curves. Keep the left side narrower and the right side wider to balance the 11 strokes.

型 (xíng) means 'model' or 'mold' and has a 刀 (knife) component, not soil. 垌 (dòng) is a place name or field ridge. Unlike those, 埭 specifically refers to a dam or dike made of earth, and its usage is rare in modern Chinese, mostly in place names.

埭 is not common in daily speech but appears in place names like 石埭 (Shídài, a historical county in Anhui) and in classical texts about water management. It refers to an earthen dam used for irrigation or flood control, a concept important in ancient Chinese agriculture.

Common words containing 埭 include: 埭岸 (dài àn) — embankment / dike bank; 石埭 (shí dài) — Shidai (a place name); 埭口 (dài kǒu) — mouth of a dam.